The number of Chinese tourists in the Northern Marianas is expected to increase with the launch of regular flights from China.
China Eastern Airlines, in cooperation with Century Tours, will begin a three times a week service between Saipan and Beijing next Thursday.
The flights are expected to bring an economic boost to the islands, with an estimated 900 Chinese tourists a week spending over 150 million US dollars a year.
The Marianas Visitors Authority says China accounts for 40 percent of tourist arrivals, with Chinese tourists receiving a US waiver programme for the CNMI.
